Last season, Destrehan relied on its talented offensive playmakers, but this year, it’s the other side of the ball that has kept the Wildcats undefeated and in prime position to compete for another state championship. Seniors Darrington Sentimore, Rufus Porter and Antonio Parker are anchoring a scary defensive unit that has shut down everyone they have faced. In fact, the Wildcat defense has only given up 41 total points all season, which is just under 6 points per game.
Sentimore, who recently committed to the University of Alabama, had 33 total tackles, 16 assists, two sacks and six tackles for loss in his team’s first six games. Destrehan head coach Stephen Robicheaux says he is the most physical player he has ever coached.
“Darrington has a lot of toughness and always plays hard,” he said. “He is flying to the ball on every play and he is going to hit somebody – whether it be a player, ref or coach – after every snap.”
While Sentimore controls the defensive line, Porter is patrolling the middle of the field. In his first six games, Porter had 30 tackles, 14 assists, eight tackles for loss and one sack. He also has two interceptions, one of which he returned 49 yards for a score against Hahnville.
“Rufus has been unbelievable this year,” Robicheaux said. “He is the leader of our defense and he is always making big plays. He is one of those guys that just has a nose for the football and is always going 100 miles per hour.”
And if a player manages to make it past those two, he is in for a rude surprise when he gets to Parker, who has been a star in the secondary for Destrehan for the past two years.
Last season, Parker finished with nine interceptions. He has two this year, and has also racked up 17 tackles, 11 assists and three tackles for loss. Parker also excels in the return game, and had a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown last week to help his team to a 23-7 victory over East St. John.
“He is the best all-around athlete on the team,” Robicheaux said. “He returns kicks, makes big interceptions and locks down his man so that we can blitz.”
Robicheaux says that not only do the three players make big plays of their own, but they also make the rest of the team play better as well.
“The best thing about those three guys is that when they step up their game, everybody else does as well – the level of play just rises,” Robicheaux said. “Plus, all three of them were on the field in the state championship game last year, so they know what we want to accomplish this season.”
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